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This game is why KF fans are KF fans

Dude McHawks

All-Conference
Dec 8, 2013
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Lesser coaches of better teams would have seen the wheels fall off the bus after the Ohio State game. I've been plenty critical of this coach and staff and ready to move on, but appreciation is due where it is due.

Somehow the team stayed together, kept the culture intact, and they rallied off three straight nice wins. They didn't give up and they won. That is because of the Dean of College Football coaches, the winningest coach in Iowa history, Kirk Ferentz, is there.

We didn't beat Bama or OSU, but we sacked up and beat a rival in November with plenty on the line. Someday KF will no longer be coach, and we will miss him.

Go Hawks
 
I love it. But the offense is still horrendous and has to change.

This defense may be one of the most dominant Iowa units I have ever seen. And they deserve a title shot.

I feel like there are some solid pieces on offense. Of course, we'll probably lose LaPorta after this year. HAVE to get better blocking.

Ready for a new OC to turn the worm
 
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I feel like there are some solid pieces on offense. Of course, we'll probably lose LaPorta after this year. HAVE to get better blocking.

Ready for a new OC to turn the worm
I mean if this program makes a marginal improvement on that side of the ball the results would be outstanding. Think about last season if they just had a below average offense….not awful….they won 10 games with a sub 100 offense….
 
Damnit, if only our coaches wanted an elite offense too. That would solve it. It’s because they don’t want it.

Thank god we have all the brains here on the forum.
Perhaps they could change their approach to how they coach, and they could achieve it? Adapt, modify, stuff like that?
 
Offense did nothing but punch in two short field TDs

we won on defense and special teams, as usual
The OP said nothing about the offense, I’d imagine he’d agree the offense sucks. However, there aren’t many staffs that could win three in a row given the circumstances of this season and that’s what the OP is appreciating.

Kirk may have terrible offenses but the man can build a culture of team work and resiliency.
 
Today also illustrates why Iowa will never be a legitimate top ten powerhouse for the foreseeable future. What exactly has Iowa done to make fans feel like they will ever see the Hawkeyes win the B1G, let alone a playoff game? The fanbase is divided in it's expectations. Certain fans will see Iowa as a program capable of competing at the highest level. These fans will gage the programs success against the likes of Ohio State, or Michigan. On the flip side, certain fans will see being solid, and never really seeing the bottom fall out as a reason to applaud the current regime. These fans will gage the program against the likes of Minnesota, Purdue, or Northwestern.

If you see Iowa in tier one of B1G programs like Ohio State, Michigan, or soon to be USC, then Ferentz needs to go. Penn State fans see themselves in that tier. Wisconsin fans just began to see themselves in that tier. Older Nebraska fans definitely see themselves in that tier.

What tier is Iowa? No answer is wrong, it's just an opinion really. Iowa will never recruit at a tier one level. There are only three programs , soon to be four in the B1G that do. Iowa excels at getting the most out of their talent level. Kirk Ferentz is a better coach then James Franklin. He is probably better then most B1G coaches as far as development. You think Ryan Day could get more out of less? Jim Tressel was better then Ryan Day. He just didn't get the top end players ,because he was so focused on a certain region, and certain style. Ohio State is now an electric nationwide recruiting power. Their defense, and discipline are not at the level they used to be. Alabama is the same thing. They churn out top offenses, pro prospects, and just a more exciting brand of football.

Whenever Ferentz decides to hang up the whistle, the question is going to be does Iowa go outside their blueprint. It's a fool's errand to think Ferentz isn't going away on his terms. He has been too loyal, too successful , and is too respected to be sent to the glue factory. Joe Paterno was only forced out due that horrific scandal. Bobby Bowden was at Florida State, a program that sees itself as a perennial top ten program( even if they weren't before Bobby, or since). Ohio State would still likely have Jim Tressel winning nine, or ten games, but not being what they are now had the tattoo scandal never happened.

So Kirk Ferentz isn't going anywhere. You can take comfort in that, or be frustrated because you want to see Iowa look like an offensive powerhouse. Once again neither side is wrong here.
 
Today also illustrates why Iowa will never be a legitimate top ten powerhouse for the foreseeable future. What exactly has Iowa done to make fans feel like they will ever see the Hawkeyes win the B1G, let alone a playoff game? The fanbase is divided in it's expectations. Certain fans will see Iowa as a program capable of competing at the highest level. These fans will gage the programs success against the likes of Ohio State, or Michigan. On the flip side, certain fans will see being solid, and never really seeing the bottom fall out as a reason to applaud the current regime. These fans will gage the program against the likes of Minnesota, Purdue, or Northwestern.

If you see Iowa in tier one of B1G programs like Ohio State, Michigan, or soon to be USC, then Ferentz needs to go. Penn State fans see themselves in that tier. Wisconsin fans just began to see themselves in that tier. Older Nebraska fans definitely see themselves in that tier.

What tier is Iowa? No answer is wrong, it's just an opinion really. Iowa will never recruit at a tier one level. There are only three programs , soon to be four in the B1G that do. Iowa excels at getting the most out of their talent level. Kirk Ferentz is a better coach then James Franklin. He is probably better then most B1G coaches as far as development. You think Ryan Day could get more out of less? Jim Tressel was better then Ryan Day. He just didn't get the top end players ,because he was so focused on a certain region, and certain style. Ohio State is now an electric nationwide recruiting power. Their defense, and discipline are not at the level they used to be. Alabama is the same thing. They churn out top offenses, pro prospects, and just a more exciting brand of football.

Whenever Ferentz decides to hang up the whistle, the question is going to be does Iowa go outside their blueprint. It's a fool's errand to think Ferentz isn't going away on his terms. He has been too loyal, too successful , and is too respected to be sent to the glue factory. Joe Paterno was only forced out due that horrific scandal. Bobby Bowden was at Florida State, a program that sees itself as a perennial top ten program( even if they weren't before Bobby, or since). Ohio State would still likely have Jim Tressel winning nine, or ten games, but not being what they are now had the tattoo scandal happened.

So Kirk Ferentz isn't going anywhere. You can take comfort in that, or be frustrated because you want to see Iowa look like an offensive powerhouse. Once again neither side is wrong here.
There is a correct response because one is based on hope for an outcome that will never happen because Iowa will never be able to recruit at that level. That has never happened, and certainly not in the last sixty years. So, we're a top tier 2 school that sometimes does Tier 1 things. We must do more with less. There are simply too many factors working against Iowa. All of those factors are getting worse for us every year.
 
Lesser coaches of better teams would have seen the wheels fall off the bus after the Ohio State game. I've been plenty critical of this coach and staff and ready to move on, but appreciation is due where it is due.

Somehow the team stayed together, kept the culture intact, and they rallied off three straight nice wins. They didn't give up and they won. That is because of the Dean of College Football coaches, the winningest coach in Iowa history, Kirk Ferentz, is there.

We didn't beat Bama or OSU, but we sacked up and beat a rival in November with plenty on the line. Someday KF will no longer be coach, and we will miss him.

Go Hawks
We may miss him. We will not miss his offensive philosophy which has been a “Train Wreck” for decade or more.
 
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Lol this thread. Putting in work. Phil Parker is the only reason we haven't been a 3-4 win team the past several years. Some of you are seriously clueless.
You understand that Phil Parker is part of Iowa don't you? Iowa wins and loses as a team, all three elements. So your point is just arguing that Iowa would win less in an alternative reality where the team cannot rely on its perennially outstanding defense keeping the games close. The entire Iowa game plan has been about that for 24 years. There have been a lot of big wins in those years. Today was a big one.

That's like saying the Abe would have lost the Civil War if he didn't have Grant.
 
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You understand that Phil Parker is part of Iowa don't you? Iowa wins and loses as a team, all three elements. So your point is just arguing that Iowa would win less in an alternative reality where the team cannot rely on its perennially outstanding defense keeping the games close. The entire Iowa game plan has been about that for 24 years. There have been a lot of big wins in those years. Today was a big one.

That's like saying the Abe would have lost the Civil War if he didn't have Grant.
Lol, he would have. And if Phil Parker wasn't our DC and we had an ordinary middle-of-the-road defense we wouldn't have won today.
 
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This is well thought out and incontrovertible,

I bet we're in agreement that change has to be made, and it will be made soon.

At the same time, we can still appreciate how KF stays focused on the next game. While he is here I hope the wins continue.
You don't think small state population, small media market, small school, boring state, shitty weather, few accessory sales, low level social media presence and now NIL might be greater impediments to Iowa recruiting and success than Kirk Ferentz?

What is this change you feel is essential? Who is the coach you think Iowa could afford to hire, would be willing to come to Iowa, overcome all the social and demographic factors working against Iowa and guarantee greater success than KF? Every time a P5 coaching change happens people think it is for the better, but in reality, the vast majority of those new hires do not work out.

That thinking is what brought Todd Lickliter and Steve Alford to Iowa's door. Now, 23 years later Iowa still hasn't recovered its place in the BBall world.​
 
Lol, he would have. And if Phil Parker wasn't our DC and we had an ordinary middle-of-the-road defense we wouldn't have won today.
But we do have PP and can build a low-risk offensive game plan around consistently outstanding to great defense. In even the best of years Iowa's offense is seldom able to win high scoring games.

You were, I assume, agreeing with me about Sam Grant?
 
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That thinking is what brought Todd Lickliter and Steve Alford to Iowa's door. Now, 23 years later Iowa still hasn't recovered its place in the BBall world.​
Yes it has. Our last two teams were 2 and 5 seeds respectively. Fran normally gets us to the dance and usually to the second round, last year an exception.

Not sure what you think "our place in the basketball world" was before Alford came to town, but Dr. Tom wasn't doing anything that Fran hasn't been doing. Not until the Sweet 16 his final season, anyway. Lot of 2nd Round NCAA exits, with the occasional NIT.
 
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